less prowess in arms, without calling to mind how he adorned the rough character of a soldier by the manners of a prince, the feelings of a Christian, and, I had almost said, the devotion of a saint.

The reign of his successor, HENRY VI. was the reign of trouble and desolation. It is not to be wondered that learning drooped, and religion 'waxed faint,' 'midst the din of arms and the effusion of human blood. Yet towards the close of this reign some attempt was made to befriend the book cause; for the provost and fellows of Eton and Cambridge petitioned the king to assist them, in increasing the number of books in their libraries ;*

Cygnorum Isidis ad vadum incolentum
Cui magnum numerum dedit BONORUM
LIBRORUM, statuitque sanctiori
Divinus studio scholæ theatrum;

Nostro quale quidem videtur esse

Magnum tempore, forsan et futuro.'

Cygn. Cant. Vide Lelandi Itinerarium
Curâ Hearne; edit. 1770. vol. ix. p. 17.

In the manuscript history of Eton College, in the British Museum, (MSS. Donat. 4840, p. 154.) the Provost and Fellows of Eton and Cambridge are stated, in the 25th of Henry the Sixth, to have petitioned the king, that as these new colleges were not sufficiently seised of books for divine service, and for their libraries, he would be pleased to order one of his chaplains, Richard Chestre, to take to him such men as shall be seen to him expedient in order to get knowledge where such bookes may be found, paying a reasonable price for the same, and that the sayd men might have the first choice of such bookes, ornaments, &c. before any man, and in especiall of all maner of bookes, ornaments, and other necessaries as now late were perteynyng to the Duke of Gloucester, and that the king would particular[ly] cause to be employed herein John Pye his stacioner of London.' For this anecdote I am indebted to Mr. H. Ellis. See also the interesting note in Warton's Hist. Engl. Poet. diss. ii. sign, f. 2.

S

but the result of this petition has never, I believe, been known.

I had nearly passed through the reign of Henry the Sixth without noticing the the very meritorious labors of a sort of precursor of Dean Colet. I mean, SIR WALTER SHERINGTON. He was a most assiduous bibliomaniac; * and, in the true

'Over the east quadrant of this [great] cloyster [on the north side of this church] was a fayre librarie, builded at the costes and charges of [Sir] WALTAR SHERINGTON, chancellor of the duchie of Lancaster, in the raigne of Henrie the 6. which hath beene well furnished with faire written bookes IN VELLEM: but few of them now do remaine there' Antiquities of Glastonbury; Hearne's edit. 1722; p. 308.

Regulations concerning Sherington's Library.

'Quodque dicta libraria, hostiis ipsius per præfatos capellanos custodes ejusdem, et eorum successores, aut alterum ipsorum, apertis singulis diebus profestis annuatim à festo Nativ. beat. Mar. Virg. usque festum Annunciacionis ejusdem, ob ortu solis, donec hora nona post altam missam de servicio diei in dicta ecclesià cathedrali finiatur: et iterum ab hora prima post meridiem usque ad finem completorii in eadem ecclesia cathedrali, vel saltem usque ad occasum solis per eosdem, seu eorum alterum, sic continue diligenter custodiatur. Et eciam singulis diebus profestis annuatim, ab eodem festo Annunciacionis beatæ Mariæ Virginis usque ad prædictum festum nativitatis ejusdem, ab hora diei sexta, donec hora nona post altam missam in dicta ecclesia cathedrali, et iterum ab hora prima post meridiem quousque completorium in eadem ecclesia cathedrali finiatur, per præfatos capellanos, seu eorum alterum et successores suos custodes dictæ librariæ debitè et diligenter aperta, custodiatur, nisi causa racionabilis hoc fieri impediat. Ita quod nullum dampnum eidem librariæ aut in libris, aut in hostiis, seruris vel fenestris vitreis ejusdem, ex negligencia dictorum capellanorum aut successorum suorum custodum dictæ librariæ evenire contingat. Et si quid dampnum hujusmodi in præmissis, seu aliquo præmissorum, per negligenciam ipsorum capellanorum, seu eorum alterius, aut successorum suorum quoque modo imposterum evenerit, id vel ipsa dampnum aut dampna recompensare, emendare et satisfacere, tociens quociens contigerit, de salariis seu stipendiis suis propriis, auctoritate et judicio dictorum Decani et

Capituli,

spirit of ancient monachism, conceived that no cathedral could be perfect without a library. Accordingly, he not only brought together an extraordinary number of curious books, but framed laws or regulations concerning the treatment of the books, and the hours of perusing them; which, if I can trust to my memory, are rather curious, and worth your examination. They are in Hearne's edition of the Antiquities of Glastonbury, composed in our own language.

We now enter upon the reign of an active and enterprising monarch; who, though he may be supposed to have cut his way to the throne by his sword, does not appear to have persecuted the cause of learning; but rather to have looked, with a gracious eye, upon its operations by means of the press. In the reign of EDWARD IV. our venerable and worthy Caxton fixed the first press, that ever was set to work in this country, in the abbey of Westminster. Yes, Lorenzo; now commenced, more decidedly, the æra of BIBLIOMANIA! Now the rich, and comparatively poor, began to build them small Book Rooms or Libraries. At first, both the architecture and furniture were sufficiently rude; if I remember well the generality of wood cuts of ancient book-boudoirs :-a few simple implements only being deemed necessary; and a three-legged

Capituli, debeant et teneantur, ut est justum. Ceteris vero diebus, noctibus et temporibus hostia prædicta, cum eorum seruris et clavibus, omnino sint clausa et secure serata.' Id: p. 193.

stool, in fashion square or round,' as Cowper says, was thought luxury sufficient for the hard

The entire passage is worth extraction: as it well describes many an old stool which has served for many a studious philosopher:

'Joint stools were then created; on three legs

Upborne they stood. Three legs upholding firm

A massy slab, in fashion square or round.
On such a stool immortal Alfred sat,

And sway'd the sceptre of his infant realms.
And such in ancient halls and mansions drear
May still be seen; but perforated sore,

And drilled in holes, the solid oak is found,

By worms voracious eating through and through.' Task: b. i. v. 19, &c. It had escaped the amiable and sagacious author of these verses, that such tripodical seats were frequently introduced into OLD BOOK-ROOMS: as the subjoined print-which gives us also a curious picture of one of the libraries alluded to by Lysander-may serve to shew:

student to sit upon.

Now commenced a ge

neral love and patronage of books: now, (to borrow John Fox's language) tongues became known, knowledge grew, judgment increased, BOOKS WERE DISPERSED, the scripture was read, stories were opened, times compared, truth discerned, falsehood detected, and with finger pointed [at]-and all, THROUGH THE BENEFIT OF PRINTING.'*

LIS. Now you have arrived at this period, pray concentrate your anecdotes into a reasonable compass. As you have inveigled us into the printing office of Caxton, I am fearful, from your strong attachment to him, that we shall not get over the threshold of it, into the open air again, until midnight.

PHIL. Order, order Lisardo! This is downright rudeness. I appeal to the chair!—

LORENZ. Lisardo is unquestionably reprehensible. His eagerness makes him sometimes lose sight of good breeding.

LYSAND. I was going to mention some Vellum and Presentation copies-but I shall hurry forward.

LIS. Nay, if you love me, omit nothing about ' vellum and presentation copies.' Speak at large upon these glorious subjects.

LYSAND. Poor Lisardo! :-we must build an iron cage to contain such a book-madman as he promises to become!

Book of Martyrs, vol. i. p. 927: edit. 1641.